Dept. of Justice news release
SYRACUSE, NY – Richard Desormeau, 22, of Watertown, and Adam Cook, 30, of Clayton, NY, were arrested and charged with federal firearms and/or drug charges, announced Acting United States Attorney Antoinette T. Bacon and John B. DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
Adam Clark is charged in a criminal complaint alleging that he manufactured, possessed, and transferred an illegally short-barreled rifle. He is also charged with possession with intent to distribute and distributing cocaine, as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. For his alleged manufacturing, possessing, and transferring an illegally short-barreled rifle, he faces up to ten-years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000. For his alleged possession with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine, he faces a maximum sentence of up to 20-years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and period of supervised release of at least three years and up to life. For his alleged possession of a firearm in connection with a drug trafficking crime, he faces a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least 5-years and up to life.
Richard Desormeau is charged in a criminal complaint alleging that he possessed and transferred an illegally short-barreled rifle. For his alleged possessing and transferring an illegally short-barreled rifle, he faces up to ten-years imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, and a period of supervised release of up to three years.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Richard Desormeau and Adam Cook were arraigned in Syracuse, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Andrew T. Baxter and detained pending a bail hearing. The charges in the complaints are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the Metro-Jefferson Drug Task Force, consisting of Investigators from the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Detectives from the City of Watertown Police Department, Detectives from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and Special Agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick.
